Clare Grogan Clare Grogan An Interview from The Daily Mail (Interview by Mandy Francis) © Copyright Associated Newspapers, January 1995. Image of Clare reproduced with the kind permission of Les Johnstone. These, and other images, can be found on his pages . Petite actress Clare Grogan, (born 17 March 1962), was discovered by director Bill Forsythe when she was waitressing in a Glasgow restaurant. She shot to fame at 19 as Susan, the girl who finally got her man in the hit film Gregory's Girl. Clare went on to front the hugely-successful pop group Altered Images , who had three hit singles, including Happy Birthday, and two best-selling albums. The band split in 1984 and Clare returned to her acting career. She has since starred in another Bill Forsythe film, Comfort and Joy, and appeared in popular television series such as Taggart and Blott on the Landscape. Clare lives in London with her husband, record producer Stephen Lironi. They married last year (1994) in Glasgow. Your Favourite Item Of Clothing?

It has to be my black PVC Rifat Ozbek trousers, which I bought a couple of years ago. They cost a fortune, but I've hardly taken them off since. None of my friends believe me when I tell them how comfortable they are. I wear them at least once a week during the daytime, usually with a big chunky jumper. I avoid wearing them on the London Underground though as they always draw unwanted male attention. Sexiest Clothes On A Man? I'm not attracted to men who are overly concerned with their appearance. The more understated the better, in my opinion. Stephen is incredibly scruffy. He has that "I've just put on whatever I found at the end of the bed" look and I find it very sexy. I do like the way a kilt looks on a man, however. Your Favourite Shoes? I don't have a favourite pair, but I do have a major shoe fetish. I have hundreds of pairs. I'm a hoarder and can't bear to throw any of them away. My collection includes everything from original 1920s flapper girl shoes bought second-hand, to weird and wonderful modern styles from Red or Dead.

If I had my way I would buy a new pair every day of the week. Having size three feet might seem a problem for may women, but I don't care what size the shoes are - if I fall in love with them I make them fit by stuffing the toes with tissue paper. The ones I'm wearing today are size five's. How Many Outfits In Your Wardrobe? Lots and lots but I tend to wear the same things all the time. I shop all over the place, from Joseph and Katherine Hamnett to Top Shop and Miss Selfridge. I just buy what I like. I tend to keep my clothes for ages, even if I stop wearing them. I always remember getting very frustrated with my mother, when some of the outfits she used to wear when she was younger came back into fashion, because she hadn't kept her old clothes for me. I intend to keep a trunk of some of my favourites for my children. What's On Your Dressing Table? A photograph of my goddaughter Ava, a plaque of Our Lady, a photograph of myself and my two sisters Katy and Margaret and my 'duck box' which is a trinket box with a picture of ducks on the lid.

My duck box contains lonely earrings that I can't bear to throw away - isn't it strange how you only ever lose one earring? - buttons, ribbons and that kind of thing. All my make up is in the top drawer because Stephen is exceptionally tidy, so I have had become and expert at hiding my clutter. What Make-Up Do You Wear? I don't wear much make up on a day-to-day basis because I'm not very good at applying it. But what little I do wear is usually expensive. Like most Scottish girls, I wear bright red lipstick (for some reason red lipstick is a very Scottish thing) and although I don't carry my make up bag around with me, I always have a lipstick with me - just in case. It's a constant source of annoyance to me that whenever I go to sleep with make up on after a late night, it always looks better in the morning than when I put it on the night before. Who Does Your Hair? I come from a family of hairdressers. My Mum was a hairdresser as was her father, her uncles and her sisters.

I really care about the way my looks and have it cut every six weeks and highlighted at my cousins' salon, Hely Hair in Glasgow. If I can't get up there, then I go to Denise McAdam in London. Mum used to cut my hair when I was younger, which caused many a family row. What Do You Spend Most Money On? Travelling. I've been all over Europe and I love America. Last year, Stephen and I spent two months visiting Colorado, Arizona and California for our honeymoon. Unfortunately, on a trip to Morocco a few years ago I contracted hepatitis. I was very ill and had to be flown back to Charing Cross Hospital. I could have died - it was that serious. One of my biggest regrets is that experience has really put me off going anywhere too adventurous. How Did You Meet Your Husband? When I was singing with Altered Images , Stephen, who is a musician, was brought in by our manager to join the band. We had to have a photograph taken of the new line-up, so the manager took me round to Stephen's house to pick him up.

Stephen says the first thing he remembers about me is that when I sat on his settee with my legs curled up he could see my white knickers. We had to do some really silly cheesecake photographs, and I remember the photographer asking me to kiss Stephen. I didn't mind at all. We became good friends and when the band split up and I went solo, Stephen played on some of my records. Some six years after our first meeting, Stephen and I found ourselves drinking cocktails one evening in a hotel in New York. We both got a bit drunk and he gave me a long, lingering kiss. I went to bed that night thinking it was all a dream. Soon after that we started going out together. We got married last August - 12 years after we first met. I'm crazy about him. The Most You Have Spent On Another Person? About ten years ago my sister Katy - who was never able to make up her mind about what she wanted to do - decided she wanted to take a course in stage management at the Royal Academy of Drama in Glasgow. She was broke, so I paid her fees. She works in advertising now. I think I should as for my money back. Your Most Embarrassing Moment?

At the height of our fame in the 1980's, Altered Images appeared in a Royal Variety Performance. I was wearing a gorgeous pair of second-hand Twenties shoes that were, as usual, a couple of sizes too big for me. Unfortunately, half-way through our set the toilet paper that I had used to stuff them with worked loose. I have a video of at home of me prancing across the stage, completely oblivious to the fact that there is a long trail of white loo roll following me around throughout the performance. I only notices it when we came off the stage. What's In Your Handbag? I always have a huge bag with me, crammed full with all kinds of things. I have lots of photographs in there of my family and friends, a hat in case I have a hair anxiety attack while I'm out, a small bottle of water, a tatty old purse that is well past its best, but is the only one I have managed to hang on to for any length of time so I'm loathe to trade it in for a new one, some food - biscuits or yoghurt, and sometimes a pair of pyjamas, just in case I end up staying over at a friend's house.

What Do You Wear In Bed? Let me put it this way: I tend to put my pyjamas on when I get up. Your Worst Evening Out? My sisters and I went to the restaurant L'Esgargot in Soho in London for a girlie, chatty evening out. Katy had just started going out with a man Margaret and I disapproved of. Unfortunately Katy didn't want to listen to our sisterly warnings and we all ended up having a monumental row about him in the restaurant - which culminated in Katy tipping the table over and storming out. The waiters were very sweet and cleared up the mess, and Margaret and I stayed to finish our meal. We asked for extra chocolate snails (a speciality of the house) at the end of dinner, then spend about £90 between us taxiing from house to house apologising to each other. Katy is now happily married to the object of our disapproval and we all love him dearly. Ideal Dining Companion? Nelson Mandela. I'd love to meet him, although I'm not sure that dinner would be an entirely suitable setting. After everything he has been through, he's just so incredibly forgiving and dignified. He's my hero.

Your Favourite Food? Chocolate. I simply could not live without it. I don't trust people who don't like chocolate - there must be something wrong with them. Any Regrets? Absolutely loads, but I think my biggest regret is that I wish I had been more assertive during my recording career. I really enjoyed the whole experience, but I think I was far too trusting of people. I was manipulated more than I would allow to happen now. Your Epitaph? Clare Grogan’s altered state - Telegraph Fame and fortune Clare Grogan’s altered state Clare Grogan, 46, is best remembered for her role in Gregory’s Girl and as singer in the 1980s band Altered Images before turning her hand to a children’s novel.

She lives with her husband Stephen Lironi and their three-year-old daughter Clare Grogan: 'My accountant is always asking why I spend so much money on my hair' Photo: MIKE WHEELER By Mark Anstead Clare Grogan delights fans as she returns to the stage with Altered Images | Daily Mail Online comments These days she’s better known for her acting, but Clare Grogan returned to the stage on Monday night with her band, Altered Images. Fans at London venue The Borderline were treated to a selection of some of their better known songs when they took to the stage as one of two supporting acts ahead of a performance by singer-songwriter Scarlette Fever. Those with long memories best remember the Scottish band from their early 80s heyday, when they climbed to number two on the UK top 40 with their biggest hit, the infectious Happy Birthday.

Making a point: Claire Grogan returned to the stage as Altered Images on Tuesday evening While 30-years have passed since that 1983 success, the band have followed the path previously trodden by the likes of Spandau Ballet by reforming – albeit with a radically different line-up – just in time to ride the current wave of nostalgia for the decade of dry ice and bleached denim. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Grogan, the only founding member onstage on Monday evening, was in high spirits as she posed for photos in front of a graffiti strewn wall backstage at the venue. The 51-year-old Glaswegian performs a handful of gigs every year after returning to the stage Altered Images in 2012. Up on stage: Grogan was performing at London venue The Borderline in support of singer-songwriter Scarlette Fever Riding the wave: Altered Images join a long list of 80s bands to have made a comeback over recent years Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Grogan calls her occasional performances, which give her the opportunity to relive her past, her ‘J-Lo moment.’ ‘That is embellishing it slightly,’ she said.

‘But a few times a year I do get to feel what it’s like to be a pop star again. ‘I only do a small number of gigs a year now, so I totally relish them. They’re a real unexpected pleasure in my life because the reaction we get is so lovely.’ Grogan initially won acclaim for her role in Bill Forsyth’s 1981 film Gregory’s Girl – and she freely admits her music has taken a back seat while she concentrates on acting and parenthood with husband Stephen Lironi. ‘Acting is pretty much a constant, but to be honest my proper job is being a mum,’ she said. Over recent years the actress has starred in EastEnders, Skins and Waterloo Road. Happy birthday: Grogan and her band performed some of their biggest hits on Tuesday evening Clare Grogan (Actress) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Clare Grogan Female Born Mar 17, 1962 Clare Grogan is a Scottish actress and singer. She is sometimes credited as C. P. Grogan. related links News + Updates Browse recent news and stories about Clare Grogan.

Clare Grogan: I Drew On My Pop Star Past To Write A Book For My Daughter Guardian (UK) - Mar 07, 2015 'Actor and 80s pop star <mark>Clare Grogan</mark> has written a second volume of stories for children about a budding pop star. The inspiration? She wanted to set down her own story for her daughter, Elle <mark>Clare Grogan</mark> was clearing out a cupboard at her parentsâ home when she found the most significant piece of her past: her original copy of the script of Gregoryâs Girl, the coming-of-age film that catapulted her to stardom in 1981. She was 18 when she played Susan in the movie, w...

Clare Grogan To Present Stv's Scotlandâs Greatest Album STV - Sep 29, 2011 'The actress and singer will host the brand new series which will see viewers pick their favourite songs to compile what they believe is Scotlandâs Greatest Album.\n' New Book Makes It To Top 10 For Mental Health And Poetry Ww.Mentalhealthy.Co.Uk Google News - Aug 22, 2011 'Some of the book&#39;s best anecdotes include meeting actress and singer <mark>Clare Grogan</mark> while sharing a dressing room with lesbian lovers; running naked down Princes Street during the Edinburgh Fringe in 1982, appearing in the finals of the 1984 BBC Scotland' Primal Scream Ziehen Wieder Durch Die Welt Welt Online Google News - Aug 17, 2011 'Er verehrte die Glasgow-Indie-Pop-Sternchen Altered Images mit ihrer mÃ¤dchenhaften SÃ¤ngerin <mark>Clare Grogan</mark>, genauso wie die Sex Pistols zu seinen Allzeithelden zÃ¤hlen.

&quot;Punk war zweifellos meine InitialzÃ¼ndung, selbst etwas zu wagen' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Clare Grogan. CHILDHOOD 1962 Birth Born on March 17, 1962. TEENAGE Show Less She is best known as the lead singer of the 1980s new wave music group Altered Images and for supporting roles in the 1981 film Gregory's Girl and the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf as the first incarnation of Kristine Kochanski. … Read More Born in Glasgow, Grogan and her two sisters all attended the Notre Dame Convent School.<br /><br /> Aged 17 while dancing at the Glasgow College of Technology, she was a bystander when a fight broke out between several patrons. A broken bottle was hurled in her direction as she was fleeing, and she was left injured with a prominent scar on the left side of her face. Grogan states that her parents still find it hard to read about the incident.

She began filming Gregory's Girl just three months after the incident.<br /><br /> Originally a member of Scottish Youth Theatre, she was originally obliged to appear as 'C.P. Grogan' because there was already a member of Equity named Claire Grogan (the other Claire Grogan went on to become a photographer). She would later drop the i from her first name. Read Less While working as a waitress at the Spaghetti Factory restaurant in Glasgow, she was spotted by film director Bill Forsyth. This led to her breakthrough acting role in 1981's Gregory's Girl as Susan. … Read More Because of her facial wound, there were objections from the producers, but Forsyth refused to recast the role and Grogan was filmed mostly in profile. When filmed in close up, makeup artists covered Grogan's scar with mortician's wax. Read Less TWENTIES 1984 22 Years Old In 1984, she played Charlotte in Forsyth's Comfort and Joy. 1985 23 Years Old In 1985, she was the receptionist in the BBC Television version of Blott on the Landscape.

… Read More She had a recurring role playing Dave Lister's would-be love-interest, Kristine Kochanski, in series 1, 2 and 6 of the TV show Red Dwarf. In series 7, she was replaced by ChloÃ« Annett. Grogan has also appeared in Father Ted (episode "Rock-a-Hula Ted") as a feminist rock singer and in EastEnders as Ian Beale's love interest, Ros Thorne (1997â1998). Read Less Show Less She played the part of Rita in a stage adaptation of Educating Rita at Dundee Repertory Theatre in 1987. … Read More Grogan developed her singing career as the lead singer of Altered Images, originally a five-piece band that included Johnny McElhone (later of the Scottish rock band Texas), whom she met while studying for her Highers. It became a four-person band with the departure of two members and the addition of Stephen Lironi, who played both guitar and drums.

The band had a string of hits in the early 1980s, including "Happy Birthday", "Don't Talk to Me About Love", "I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes". The group split up after the release of their third album, Bite (1983). Read Less Grogan later attempted a solo career, but after her single "Love Bomb" failed to gain chart success in 1987, her album Trash Mad was never released. 1989 27 Years Old Grogan formed Universal Love School in 1989 with Lironi, performing a series of gigs around the UK. … Read More However, it was short-lived and produced no hit singles. Read Less THIRTIES Home entertainment: Clare Grogan | From the Guardian | The Guardian from the guardian: Share on Messenger Close Half an hour after we arrive at Clare Grogan's house in north London, Gary Kemp walks in.

It's tempting to imagine that there might be a coffee morning circle for 1980s pop stars turned 21st-century actors - in which the merits of ABC's The Lexicon of Love are put under scrutiny as the stove-top pot gurgles - but she assures us that this really isn't the case. "But you can imagine how I felt when I walked into the press launch for Here and Now," says Grogan of the 1980s revival tour she is embarking on in November with her old band, Altered Images. "There was the Human League and Steve Strange, who I had never really met before. We were incredibly young back then, and really quite shy - so nobody got to know each other properly. We had all been projected into this world where we didn't know how to behave or what to say." Grogan was the youngest in the gang. She was 16 when she joined Altered Images, who got their first gig after writing to the Siouxsie and the Banshees' fan club to say they were available as support for Scottish tours.

Soon after, director Bill Forsyth spotted Grogan in a cafe where she was working as a waitress and cast her as Susan in Gregory's Girl, the subject of many a teenage boy's first crush. By the time she hit 19, Altered Images' first album and Gregory's Girl were both at the top of the charts and Grogan found herself being, quite suddenly, very famous indeed. "I was so naive. I had nothing to prepare me for being taken to the forefront of fame by my first two jobs," she says. "I had no perspective on how crazy it all was. "There would be a limousine taking me to my house in Glasgow, where my parents would be waiting to usher me in and direct me towards the washing-up. I had absolutely no sophistication at that time, coupled with terrible delusions of grandeur. I thought it perfectly reasonable that I would be a film star. And I guess I got quite close." Grogan's parents lived next to a cinema, and it was films like Rear Window, Barefoot in the Park, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sweet Charity that inspired her to become an actress. "When I look back, I was totally deluded," she says.

"I loved Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Goldie Hawn... all those fabulous, sassy, funny girls, and I thought I could be one of them. Especially Shirley MacLaine, who was my icon because she could sing, dance and really act. "Sweet Charity is incredibly camp but hard-hitting too, and I like that. I know that I'm just playing at it compared to Shirley MacLaine, but every now and then I hit the mark." The downside of the high fame moments, of not being able to live up to the image that the public had of her, has meant that Grogan is happier now that she has settled into being a jobbing actress and has put the pop star days behind her - well, until November that is. She shares a very tidy house with her musician boyfriend, who torments her by playing a combination of Led Zeppelin, the Ramones and Suicide first thing in the morning, and he enjoys what she calls "great pop songs with a bit of attitude" - exactly what Altered Images aspired to. "We loved Siouxsie, Blondie, the Slits, all those girls who were up there giving it loads," she says.

"I still think that girls in music are generally more interesting than boys. These days, Wrecking Ball by Emmylou Harris is one of my absolute favourite albums, and I also like Mazzy Star and Maria Callas. I have to say, I'm a bit lazy about buying new stuff. It's a full-time occupation trying to keep up. I like to have a life as well." She plays a few tracks from Sao Vicente Di Longe, an album by a Cape Verde singer called Cesaria Evora. Evora grew up making a living from singing in cafes, had three children by three sailors, and went to Lisbon to sing, where she got discovered. "She really is the most unlikely star," says Grogan. "She had an offer to perform in Scotland but turned it down as she didn't want to wear shoes. Because she was so poor, she had never worn them before; she finds them too uncomfortable to wear now. She has the kind of voice that makes you know that she's lived it. And I love her." Conspicuous by its absence from Grogan's collection is anything by Altered Images.

Up until two weeks ago, she had not listened to the band since they split up back in the mid-1980s, and couldn't remember what they sounded like. "After all this time, I listened to a greatest hits album that's coming out," she says. "To my relief I loved it, although I'm so removed from it that I can't relate to that teenage girl singing in any way whatsoever. Now I'm looking at this tour as a chance to revisit my youth, and I know that the whole thing is extremely silly. "Plus I get to jump out of a huge birthday cake. That's always been a fantasy of mine." Altered Images Cult heroes are all very well, but you can't live on reputation alone. That, in a nutshell, seems to reflect the story of Glasgow's Altered Images, a group who quickly movid from indie-style to unpretentious, chart-conquering pop of a consistently high quality. Their early career gained much credibility from an association with Siouxsie and the Banshees , to whom they were sometimes initially compared. They emerged from that substantial shadow to establish themselves in their own right as a lively and entertaining new wave act with personality a-plenty.

Altered Images from the sleeve of Happy Birthday (dance mix) Lead singer Clare Grogan , born, 17 March 1962, grew up with her fishmonger father, hairdresser mother and two sisters in Glasgow. She came to the pop scene with a high profile, having played the major role of Susan in Bill Forsyth's engaging 1980 film "Gregory's Girl". March the previous year had seen her first link with fellow Scots Michael 'Tich' Anderson (drums), Tony McDaid (guitar) and Johnny McElhone (bass - born 21 April 1963). School friends inspired by the burgeoning post-punk UK inde scene, had turned to music making in the wake of the Undertones, performing local club and pub dates in their home town, Glasgow. A demo tape sent to Siouxsie and the Banshees secured the group as opening slot at the Banshees Glasgow date in June '80. Altered Images continued in the support slot on the Banshees' "Kaleidoscope" tour, and were filmed, during September, in an appearance at the Leeds Futurama festival.

A powerful champion of their work was the influential UK disc jockey, John Peel . Their BBC radio sessions (October 1980 and March 1981) resulted in the offer of a major recording contract by CBS subsidiary Epic, and two unsuccessful singles followed, " Dead Pop Stars " (EPC A1023) and " A Day's Wait " (EPC A1167). The release of "Dead Pop Stars", causing controversy because of the recent death of John Lennon, although recorded prior to it. Both singles were produced by Banshees bassist Steve Severin, who did likewise for the majority of the band's first album " Happy Birthday " (EPC 84993) - but not significantly, the title track. For this their label introduced Martin Rushent, whose credits included the Stranglers and the Human League.

Not surprisingly, the result of the band/producer paring veered more towards the latter act's classic pop as exemplified by the chart topping "Dare", and proved nearly as successful: the third single, featuring additional guitarist Jim McKinven, opened the Images' Top 40 account, in the UK charts , at a staggering Number 2 in the summer of 1981, establishing the elfin Grogan as a punkish Shirley Temple. Courtesy of Les Johnsone Clare in a little black number By this time, media attention was firmly focused on Clare Grogan , whose undeniable good looks and bubbly personality made her the natural star of some strikingly effective videos: the clip for "See Those Eyes", for example, took the form of a clever parody of the cult TV show "The Prisoner", she also made a guest apperance on the video "Young At Heart" for The Blubells. Clare also wrote "Pinky Blue", a minor (Number 35) hit single and was the title track of Altered Images' second album, released in May 1982; this improved 14 places on their debut by reaching Number 12.

The album received some barbed reviews from those who'd previously feted the group: "Deliberately calculated for maximum commercial return", sneered Melody Maker, while Sounds likened it to "biting into a cream egg and finding no yummy centre at all". The split in the fans' and critics' ranks was soon to be reflected in the musician credits, with McKiven and Anderson leaving the fold after a cover of Del Shannon's "Little Town Flirt" was recorded for the "Party Party" film soundtrack. They were replaced by just one person - multi-instrumentalist Steve Lironi - but even more crucial to their musical development was the employment of Mike Chapman as producer. The experiment brought another Top 10 hit. "Don't Talk To Me About Love", a disco-beat epic reminiscent of Chapman's work with Blondie's chart topping "Heart Of Glass"; it reached Number 7, but most significantly of all, its blatantly studio-created sound left Clare Grogan firmly in the spotlight, the band members were now mere extras.

Three more singles were released: "Bring Me Closer", "Love To Stay" and "Change Of Heart", but showed diminishing chart returns at Numbers 29 and 46: by "Change Of Heart", the audience had changed allegiance and it flopped altogether. In 1983 the third album "Bite", produced by Mike Chapman and Tony Visconti, had progressed to Number 12. Following a brief tour with the addition of David Wilde (drums) and Jim Prime (keyboards) the group disbanded. Clare as Kristine Kochanski Clare Grogan had returned to the world of celluloid, augmenting another Forsyth film appearance in "Comfort And Joy" with selected television work (notably as the original Kristine Kochanski in the BBC sitcom " Red Dwarf "). A solo musical comeback on London Records in 1987 resulted in an unsuccessful single and an unreleased album, "Love Bomb", after which Grogan again left the music scene. By the time she reunited with Steve Lironi, fronting Universal Love School, former Image guitarist Johnny McElhone had found fame afresh as bassist, first with Hipsway then with Texas .

The Best Of Altered Images From the British release The two anthologies that have been released in recent years, " The Best Of Altered Images " (Connoisseur Collection VSOP CD 177) and " Reflected Images - The Best Of Altered Images " (Epic 484339 2), bring together the hits with choice album tracks and 12" mixes. Altered Imaged are more than overdue for a critical reappraisal. A chart devoid of quality songs cries out for material of this calibre: buy these albums. THEBESTOFALTEREDIMAGES From the American release More recently Grogan has begun to present on the popular BSkyB music channel VH1, where in particular she hosted " Summer in the City" from Glasgow. During '96 Grogan returned to the recording studio, making a guest appearance on Rosta Mota 's album 'Bionic', performing on one track 'This Grudge'. Recent television appearances for Clare have seen her as the earnest private eye, Ros Blackwell, in the popular, if depressing, soap EastEnders .

Now that you're here, or you have any questions, why not sign my guestbook Have a look at who's passed thorough and view my guestbook Incredibly, people have looked at this page. Send comments and mail to Peter Lyell peter@sukeplow.demon.co.uk Last updated by Peter Lyell on Thursday, 20 August, 1998 All copyright material is used without permission of the copyright holder, and remains exclusively the copyright holder's property. It is my hope that the copyright holder will take this violation in a complementary manner, as that is how it's meant. However, if anyone from the copyright holder wishes their material to be removed, I will of course do so immediately. Actress Clare Grogan on adopting her daughter and parenting problems | Life | Life & Style | Daily Express LIFE Actress Clare Grogan on adopting her daughter: 'It's a lot tougher than I expected' AFTER miscarriages and IVF actress and singer Clare Grogan never thought she would become a mum. But then Elle came into her life and everything changed.

03:01, Sun, Mar 15, 2015 | UPDATED: 01:36, Sat, Mar 21, 2015 S MAG Actress Clare Grogan on adopting her daughter and parenting problems Being a mum to 10-year-old Elle means everything to Clare Grogan. “She sees the world from such a refreshing angle,” beams the singer and actress as Elle bounces around the room, delighted at getting to play dress-up for our photoshoot. Clare, whose own love of dressing up helped take her band Altered Images into the charts in the 1980s, smiles. “I know that might change, but Elle’s at that age where she and her friends are still basically sending each other silly pictures – like puppies eating marshmallows,” she says. Ella has always known she's adopted Clare Grogan Clare’s struggles to become a mother have been well documented. She’s spoken movingly about miscarriages and failed IVF treatments, eventually deciding on adoption.

She and her husband – former bandmate Stephen Lironi – welcomed Elle Lucia, who was just eight months old at the time, into their London home in 2005 and Clare confesses parenting isn’t always easy. “It’s a lot tougher than I expected it to be,” she admits. “When you’ve been through everything Stephen and I did to achieve it, all you want to do for this little person is say ‘yes’. But being good parents means having to say ‘no’ sometimes. I do genuinely struggle with that, but I want her to grow up with the values I grew up with.” Glasgow-born Grogan and her two sisters were raised in a council house: “We didn’t have very much, but my parents taught me the real value of life and I think that’s so important. Elle has a much more privileged upbringing, but we want her to know how the world really works.” Mother’s Day is always a double celebration for Clare, whose birthday is on Tuesday – she’s about to turn 53 – and usually involves a big family lunch.

She doesn’t know what Elle is getting her this year but, after a thoughtful Christmas gift – a Tatty Devine necklace with “Mummy” on it that Elle designed herself – she knows it’ll be something nice. Elle covers her mum’s ears and tells me what it is. I won’t spoil the surprise, but Clare’s going to be very pleased. S MAG 'Ella sees the world from such a refreshing angle' Lively Elle doesn’t stick around to chat for long, however – she’s too busy trying on every dress she can get her hands on. And, as she and her mum dance to Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk to loosen up for the photoshoot, they seem to be great mates as well as mother and daughter. They could just as easily be dancing to Grogan’s own Happy Birthday, which she sings to her daughter every year – “In fact, I sing it to everybody,” she laughs – and Elle has heard all the Altered Images records and seen the videos. “She inspires me to be a singer,” Elle says, adding that she’s not so good at acting. “She’s a great singer and can really hold a tune,” Clare confirms.

“We don’t know where that comes from but we’re delighted about it.” Now Clare, who shot to fame in 1981 as a star of the hit movie Gregory’s Girl, has added a new string to her bow. She has her own series of children’s books, The Adventures Of Tallulah Gosh, which charts the adventures of a young girl who dreams of becoming a pop star. The two books in the series so far, Tallulah And The Teen Stars and Tallulah On Tour, are partly based on the author’s own experiences of the pop world. She’s never been tempted by offers to write her memoirs, even though, as she says, “it was quite an extraordinary double whammy I experienced”. But she did love the idea of drawing on her own story as the basis for fiction. “I wanted to do something that was fun and would also be a bit of a life lesson for Elle,” she says. “Sometimes I find it difficult to explain to her what I do. I mean, I’ve never had a proper job, apart from when I was a waitress in the Spaghetti Factory in Glasgow when I was still at school. “Also, I feel very strongly in encouraging girls to follow their dreams.

I don’t think that’s about being famous – it’s about finding something you love, being passionate about it and working really hard.” Clare has always been a hard worker – and she’s a fighter, too, refusing to give up on her dream of becoming a mum. She was in her early thirties when she had the first of several miscarriages and had four rounds of IVF, none of which led to a successful pregnancy. “But I was on a mission,” she says, “and I couldn’t abandon that mission until I achieved my goal. Because I could get pregnant, Stephen and I always assumed, ‘Surely we can go full term.’ That was not to be our story, but there was always a lot of hope attached to the painful process. I have always been reluctant to say ‘no’ to any scenario, so I was like, ‘I’m going to make this happen.’ But there were times, of course, when my nearest and dearest were concerned.” Clare vividly recalls bumping into an actress friend in the street. She was pushing a buggy and revealed that her lovely little boy was adopted. “I practically ran home thinking, ‘Of course!’” But it took another two years for the dream to become a reality.

“If someone had told me it would take two years, I think I would have felt soul-destroyed,” says Clare. “But at least things kept happening along the way.” Eventually, she and Stephen were sent a tape of Elle. “And when we saw Elle in that video, Steve and I both felt completely the same way – and that was, ‘This is our child.’” Related articles Clare Grogan | Daily Mail Online Next Clare Grogan CLARE GROGAN, 40, found fame in the film Gregory's Girl, then with the band Altered Images, whose hits included Happy Birthday. What have you been doing? Loads. I've appeared as a go-go dancer on stage in the West End and on TV in Red Dwarf and Father Ted. I played Ian Beale's love interest in East Enders for a while, and now present a movie show on Sky. I've just finished two low-budget films. Highs and lows? Being in a flat in London with a bunch of fellow Scots watching our first ever appearance on Top Of The Pops. But I was a familiar face in casualty departments because I refused to wear glasses on stage and was forever falling off them. Did you make your fortune?

No, I never made much from the music, although we sold millions of records. We didn't have a clue about business. But I've made good money since, and my husband and I have a nice lifestyle in North London. What about your love life? I've been with my husband, Stephen Lironi, who's a record producer for bands such as Bon Jovi, for 15 years. We don't have children. Are you still a party girl? I was always well-behaved for a pop star. I never did sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll - what a wasted opportunity! These days, a couple of Cosmopolitans make me wobbly. What about the future? I'm back with Altered Images for the Here & Now tour and was dubious about jumping around singing Happy Birthday at my age. But who's going to turn down the chance of performing at Wembley Arena?

Question: Clare Grogan, singer with "Altered Images" first found fame as an actress in which film?
Answer: GREGORY'S GIRL